


Druid Celebration

by lilyseyes



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: First Time, M/M, Rimming
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-12
Updated: 2013-02-12
Packaged: 2017-11-29 01:08:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/680957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilyseyes/pseuds/lilyseyes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for HP Halloween fest <b>#2.by  torenheksje: Snape/Harry, Room of Requirement, Costume, a private celebration after the war.</b></p>
            </blockquote>





	Druid Celebration

**Author's Note:**

> **Beta:** the brilliant irisgirl12000
> 
> **Information on the Samhain Ritual obtained from: 1: www.wica.com/celtic/akasha/samhainrit.htm and 2: www.sacredfire.net/festivals.html**

* * *

“Severus, why am I wearing these scratchy robes and where are we going?” Harry knew he was whinging, but he had no interest in celebrating anything, not Halloween, not the fact that he had become a murder less than a week ago.

The Potions master managed to move down the seventh floor corridor with the white Druid costume he was wearing billowing after him the way his regular robes did, and Harry rolled his eyes. The terse instructions from his lover had only said to strip, bathe, and don the costume left for him without anything underneath, and Harry for one was not enjoying the way his bits were rubbed raw by the rough cloth. Thin sandals were the only things protecting his feet, and his toes were cold in the chilly draft near the stone floor. Harry's muscles still ached from the several nasty hexes he had received during the final battle, but he did not want to complain anymore. It was apparent that Severus had taken the time to do something special for him, and despite his overwhelming desire to flee back to the dungeon rooms they had shared for over a year, the twenty-year-old sighed and followed his lover.

The Room of Requirement was dark, the air lush and balmy, reminiscent of an August night. It looked like what Harry pictured a glen in the English countryside would look like: a grassy area nestled among rolling hills. A circular arrangement of wooden posts was just visible in the distance; Woodhenge, his mind whispered. In the opposite direction, Stonehenge loomed on the horizon, and Harry frowned as he tried to remember why these sites were important. Severus stepped into the middle of the grassy area, where a small table draped with an orange cloth sat. A small cauldron was placed in front of the table, a short black candle inside, a large white candle above it, and two black tapers at each end of the table. In between sat plates of fruit, vegetables, and breads, with an apple and a bone-handled knife in the center. Harry stepped nearer the table at Severus' gesture, moving to the side of the cauldron the older wizard had indicated. 

His interest piqued, Harry watched as Severus drew a circle around the area with what looked like salt. Returning to the table, Severus removed his wand and laid it down before turning to meet Harry’s eyes.

“Hallowe’en, Samhain, is the ancient festival of fire, which honored the end of summer and those who have died. The ancient Druids, the intellectuals and priests of the Celtic people, used this night to make peace with the souls of friends and foes alike, so the living could move past their deaths. I learned this ritual from my mother, who practiced the old ways in secret. I believe it will bring both of us some measure of closure.”

Severus turned back toward what Harry now realized was an altar and leaned forward to light one of the black tapers. He watched as the flame sputtered and finally caught, flaring brightly in the twilight. Severus began to chant in a melodious voice. Harry let the deep, soothing voice of his lover wash over him as he listened to the words that paid homage to the Goddess, asking for blessing and favor. The numb part of him began to awaken as he realized the ritual was to help him deal with his overwhelming feeling of guilt and remorse, to make peace with himself. The older wizard was not one to make affectionate gestures or try to reassure him with empty words as so many of his friends had. A warm feeling began to blossom in his chest.

Harry concentrated on the timbre of the wizard’s voice and the words that asked for the Dark Father to keep safe their ancestors as the Veil lifted. The soothing words flowed over him as Severus reached to light the second black taper. Harry did not entirely understand the ritual, but he became aware of magical energy beginning to swirl around them. Shadowy images began to appear outside the circle and Harry could see the misty shapes of people. Severus’s voice rose slightly:

_“Tonight as the barrier between the two realms grows thin,  
Spirits walk amongst us, once again  
They be family, friends, and foes…”_

Severus moved to take the apple and knife in his hand, cutting the fruit in two and biting into one half before setting both back on the altar. The figures seemed to press closer to edge of the circle as Harry watched. A flash of bright green eyes made his breath catch in his throat, and a wild mop of raven hair appeared for a moment, then disappeared. Glimpses of red hair, Hogwarts robes, and Quidditch robes brought tears to his eyes and memories to mind. The deep voice faltered when a tall elderly man in flamboyant robes made an appearance and seemed to linger longer than most. Scarlet eyes in the blackness startled him despite their anticipated arrival, and Harry to an involuntary step back.

The black candle in the cauldron flared.

_"May the good come to pass and the bad be cast aside…”_

The red eyes vanished along with several white-masked faces, and Harry saw Albus Dumbledore smile at them and nod before disbursing into the darkness. Severus used the small black candle to light a white pillar candle on the altar. The flame flared bright, mesmerizing Harry as he stared into the depths even as Severus tugged him forward.

_"Every beginning has an ending_  
And every ending is a new beginning  
In Life is Death, and in Death is Life.  
Watch over me, my loved ones, and all of my  
Brothers and Sisters, here and departed,  
Who, tonight are joined together again for  
Fellowship and celebration,  
Bless us all as we light our bonfires, our hearth fires,  
And the eternal fires in our hearts.  
Guide us and protect us,  
Tonight and throughout the coming year,  
Blessed be! Blessed be!" 

All the candles except the white pillar were extinguished, and Severus stepped back from the altar. The words of the ritual had touched Harry, and filled him with a calm that he had not felt in years. When Severus came closer, he could see that the lines of the older man’s face had smoothed, and the set of his shoulders was a little less rigid. Harry wondered if the Headmaster’s appearance had helped his lover move forward as well, and for the first time in weeks, he smiled. An eyebrow arched as his lover looked as him, and Harry shivered at the hunger in the obsidian eyes. A flick of Severus’ hand and the Room banished everything but the altar and burning candle.

“Come here, Harry,” Severus said, his voice velvety. “There is another, more private, celebration we need to engage in.” 

Harry found that the grass had firmed so that it felt more like a thin mattress, and it was warm to the touch. Severus removed his sandals and untied the cord that held the coarse white robe in place. Moving towards the older man, Harry watched as the robes dropped to reveal the lovely milk-white skin of his lover, and a shiver of arousal ran down his spine. They had not been intimate since the final battle The unclean feeling Harry had after his use of the Killing Curse had made him feel unworthy of love; he had not been able ready to discuss this feeling with his lover, and made numerous excuses for not wanting to be touched. A familiar pot of scented oil appeared on the ground as he stepped in front of Severus, allowing himself to be slowly pulled into his lover’s arms.

“The Druids considered the act of making love to be a ritual in itself,” Severus murmured in his ear, as his hands released the cord that held Harry’s robes.

“That almost sounds like a pledge, Severus,” Harry said as his stomach churned with emotion.

The taller man pulled back so that Harry could see his eyes, filled with solemn promise. “It can be, if you so desire, were you to be able to relinquish the idiotic notion that you have harbored in the past week of being somehow tainted by what you did to free the wizarding community, and me.”

“Severus, I…”

Harry was not able to finish his denial. Warm lips descended on his, molding against them and laving his bottom lip until he groaned and allowed the older man in. Harry's body tightened with arousal as skin met skin, and he wrapped his arms around his lover as he acquiesced to his desire to be held. Erections rubbed slowly together and large, slender fingers threaded through his hair, and Harry could feel the want throbbing in him as Severus made love to his mouth.

Severus left Harry's mouth to trail open-mouthed kisses along his jaw before sucking on the spot below his ear, which set Harry writhing against him. His hands stroked his lover’s back as Harry allowed the numbness at his core to be washed away by their love. A flick of that talented tongue along the curve of his ear pulled a groan from him even as Severus drew back again.

“In ancient times, sacrifices were part of various rituals that the Druids celebrated. Tonight, I will submit myself to you as a ritual sacrifice. In turn, you will sacrifice the part of yourself that binds you to the past. Only then can the End become the Beginning.” 

Although familiar with the man’s manner of speech, Harry frowned at the oddly formal words before it dawned on him what Severus was saying.

“But, Severus, you have always said you would never bottom?!”

“Indeed, as you have said repeatedly that you can never forgive yourself for the deaths you had no hand in or the one you committed for the greater good.”

“And the ritual tonight has helped, Severus, but I don’t think…” Harry ran out of steam; he truly wanted to be relieved of the burden he felt so acutely. 

“If I can submit myself to your inexperienced fumbling, Potter,” Severus said, the hands cupping Harry's face tenderly erasing the sting of his words, “then you should be able to move past the guilt you have embraced.”

The thought of sliding into his lover both terrified and aroused him, and another groan escaped him as he gave a short nod. Severus kissed him as he slid the robe off his shoulders and drew him down to the soft ground. The grass felt like fine silk under his knees as he rolled on top of his lover, taking control of the kiss. Harry understood the significance of the gift Severus was offering, and was versed enough in the traditions know that it was tantamount to a declaration of undying love by the older man. It was the same feeling Harry had felt when he had given himself to Severus for the first time, but had not acknowledged. For this precious gift of love, Harry knew he could banish the weight of guilt from his soul.

Taking his time, Harry lazily moved down Severus’ body, licking and sucking on the places he had learned would arouse the older man. He lavished attention on the flat, pale nipples, and his fingers toyed with the both nubs as Harry placed open-mouthed kissed down the center of Severus’ hairless chest. Pausing to dip his tongue into the hollow of the navel, he splayed his hands over the arch of each bucking hip, thumbs slowly stroking through the black curls at the base of Severus' twitching cock. Moving down, Harry buried his nose in the musky curls before carefully drawing one ball into his mouth to suckle gently before repeating the action on the other. Hands entwined in his hair, and he could feel Severus restrain himself from pulling him toward the straining cock.

Severus had always been the dominant partner in their relationship, and Harry did not often get the luxury of exploring his lover’s body as he liked. There had been occasions when Harry was able to indulge his oral fixation, usually in the mornings when he woke before the older man. An idea took root in his mind, and Harry glanced up the long plane of his lover’s body to see the alabaster skin flushed with arousal, the dark head flung back and his eyes tightly closed. Harry shifted his hands, pressing the thighs up, and ran his tongue along the soft skin leading to his goal. A strangled cry was ripped from Severus’ throat when he drew the tip of his tongue around the ring of muscle. Holding the jerking thighs firmly, Harry leaned in and used his tongue to lave around the guardian muscle until his usually reticent lover howled. 

One hand left a thigh to summon the pot of oil. Harry coated his fingers, slipping one gently in alongside his questing tongue. Moving slowly into the heat, Harry worked finger and tongue in synchronized motions, not stopping until he felt one hands leave his head to tug sharply on the balls that had been nestled against his ear. Knowing his lover was close, Harry added a second finger and a third, stretching the tight flesh as rapidly as he thought he could. His fingers brushed the small nub of nerves that he had purposely avoided, and he felt Severus jolt and the hand in his hair tightened painfully.

“Now, Potter!” the Potions master snarled, even as his hands pulled Harry upwards. 

Harry captured Severus’ lips in a heated kiss, shivering when he felt slender fingers coat his own straining cock with oil. Strong legs wrapped around his waist, and Harry pulled back to kneel between Severus’ legs.

“You seem rather impatient for my fumbling, Severus.” He smirked as he pushed the thighs apart and up against his lover’s chest.

The onyx eyes blazed with desire. “Just get on with it, Potter, before my legs begin to cramp!”

Hands caressed the taut muscles as Harry aligned himself. Severus arched upward to try and hurry him along. 

Using one hand to guide himself in, Harry slipped the tip of his cock just past the guardian ring and paused as he concentrated on the gift Severus had given him. As the muscles eased, Harry slowly slid into the tight heat, ignoring the older man’s attempts to take control. Fully sheathed, he leaned forward to kiss his panting lover, allowing the lean legs to encircle him again. Bracing himself on his arms, Harry withdrew almost fully before snapping his hips forward, and Severus groaned in response. A slight change of angle and Harry snapped his hips again. The resulting howl told him he had found the right spot.

“Do I meet your expectations, Severus?” Harry gasped as he tried to stave off his climax until he had made the older man lose control.

“It will—ahhh yes, again!—suffice for a first attempt…”

Harry's eyes gleamed Slytherin green as he leaned down and met dazed onyx ones. “I had never bottomed before when we got together, love, but you never asked me whether I had ever topped.”

Shifting, Harry began to pound into Severus, loving the demanding babble that emerged from the man’s throat as he lost control. His balls slapped against warm flesh, and Harry could feel his orgasm gathering in them, when Severus reached between them to wrap a hand around his cock. The sight of it pushed him over the peak, groaning as his climax slammed into him. Harry felt Severus spill himself between them, crying out Harry’s name as he came. As he slumped forward, Harry felt Severus roll them to the side and pull him close. Harry snuggled against the warm skin, legs entwining as magic of a cleansing spell prickled along his skin.

“I hope that was good enough to justify your sacrifice, Severus,” Harry said quietly, his insecurity reviving as his breathing slowed.

“You may have some mediocre talent which I might be interested in honing.” Severus pressed a kiss into his damp hair. “The effort will be justified if you keep your end of the agreement.”

Harry could not help but laugh in delight at the snarky statement. It did feel as if a tremendous weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and he knew that with Severus’ help he would be able to move on with his life. As his eyelids drooped sleepily, cocooned in the protective embrace of his love, Harry vowed to research the other Druid rituals. Perhaps there was a bonding ceremony they could make use of, say, in the spring.

“Love you, Sev…”

Obsidian eyes caressed his face as he sighed, and Harry almost missed the soft whisper: “And I adore you, my Harry.”

* * *


End file.
